The present application relates to devices and corresponding methods for the endoscopic treatment of obesity, diabetes, hyperlipidemia and other ailments of the digestive system.
Obesity is a growing health concern which is estimated to be directly responsible for over $147B in healthcare costs or 3%-8% of the overall healthcare costs of certain countries. Invasive therapies such as gastric bypass and stomach bands and stapling have been in use in the United States for years with limited success. In addition, such therapies often require surgical procedures, can damage the patient, and are in some cases irreversible.
A number of endoscopic therapies have been proposed for the treatment of obesity which, unlike invasive therapies, are minimally invasive and are often reversible. For instance, inflatable balloons have been inserted into the stomach to decrease the accommodation of the stomach in the hopes of creating early satiety and thus decreasing caloric intake. Similarly, intestinal barrier sleeves anchored in the small intestines have been used to decrease the absorptive surface of digestion in the small intestines with promising results. These therapies as currently in use, however, are significantly limited in their efficacy as well as safety. Indeed, the failure rate for intestinal barrier sleeves is relatively high, primarily due to patient intolerance and GI bleeding particularly at the anchorage points in the intestines.
Accordingly, there remains a need for improved endoscopic therapies for the treatment of obesity, diabetes and other ailments that are safer and more versatile than existing therapies.